Cheers for cup that inebriates

Mar 19 2009 by Peter Jackson, The Journal

I SUPPOSE it was only a matter of time before Professor Sir Liam Donaldson stepped up his efforts to make us all miserable.

Sir Liam, the chief medical officer, has proposed that the Government introduce minimum prices for alcohol, on the grounds that the country is “drinking far too much”.

Well, we’ll be the judges of that, thank you, Sir Liam.

In fact alcohol is scandalously expensive in this country, thanks to the extortionate levels of duty levied on it.

Also, according to the British Beer and Pub Association, consumption fell by nearly 3% last year and the UK ranks 14th for alcohol consumption out of 20 countries, below France and Germany.

Sir Liam, like so many senior people in the medical profession, is from Scotland, an admirable country whose sons and daughters have achieved much, in no small part due to the strong influence of Calvinism on that land.

Calvinism is famous for being an uncompromising doctrine, which takes a dim view of human enjoyment. Now all of us can, at times, be irritated by our fellow creatures having a good time – Red Nose Day, for example, brings out the latent Calvinist in me – but it’s hardly reasonable that Sir Liam’s hang-ups should be given the force of law.

It was he, by the way, who was a prime mover behind the smoking ban, which, like his anti-drink drive, is in large part based on a big fib: namely that these vices are a net financial burden on the country.

In truth, drinkers, like smokers, contribute enough to the Exchequer by way of duty to pay for much of the NHS and, by dying earlier, save the country a fortune in pensions and old age health care.

I was afraid that Sir Liam’s proposals would gain the sympathy of a government largely made up of dour sons of the manse and humourless, bossy hockey mistresses, but evidently they still know a sure-fire vote-loser when they see it and have greeted his suggestion with a marked lack of enthusiasm.

With any luck, Sir Liam will take this to heart and take himself off into retirement in North Uist, leaving the rest of us to enjoy a dram in peace.

I’d certainly drink to that.

Peter Jackson is a writer and ex-business editor of The Journal – p.jackson77@btinternet.com